International Award Gold Team goes to Babati

On the 12th of May, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award Team journeyed to Babati from school at 8.30 a.m.. 155km and 2 hours later we arrived at Babati roundabout eager to start our expedition.

We ventured into a large crater and trekked to Kisima Cha Mungu (God’s Well). The walk was painful and tiring but we endured it and never gave up thanks to the support from our teachers. Mr. Kennedy and Dennis gave us the motivation to keep on going despite our many falls, and leg pains and Mrs. Ruth ensured we never gave up.

We walked 17.8km and got the opportunity to see the beautiful Kisima Cha Mungu, where we believed we got the blessings that gave us a safe journey for the remaining part of the trip. The following day, we went up Gallapo Mountain which was extremely steep. We needed sticks to
help us get up the mountain and everyone agreed that it was the toughest day. Once again, thanks to the support from our teachers and motivation from each other we made it.

Coming down from the mountain, we rushed past cows and villages. When we reached the bottom of the mountain, we all thought we were done with our journey. However, we still had to walk through a couple of villages in order to complete our 21kms. Tamia, our public relations, made sure we didn’t get lost and Daniel, our navigator, led the way.

Upon reaching the campsite, we made dinner and got ready for bed-exhausted from our journey. Walking up and down little hills on the third day, we were blessed to see Kiru Hot springs. The sun was out and throughout the walk, we all motivated each other with music, singing, and stories. The Kiru Hot Springs was a petite bundle of warm water with bubbles coming out. We all dipped our hands and feet in the water, as we were tired from our 23km hike and spent a lot of time analyzing the vegetation around the springs.

On the fourth and final day, we ventured into a forest to see a majestic waterfall. The water sprang from an array of rocks creating a basket of foam at the bottom. We continued walking for a few extra kilometers, ready to leave Babati behind and get well-rested at home. Once we reached the bus, we were all filled with relief and fatigued from the 15km walk on the final day. However, we survived and made it to the end without giving up in spite of many challenges along the way.

Lastly many thanks to Mrs. Ruth, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Dennis for staying strong and giving all of us
the motivation we needed on the trip-we all really appreciate it.